What Happened in History This Day of January 29th?
He was one of the last Presidents who had served in the Union army during the civil war. He left the army as a Captain and then entered law school. He then practiced law in Canton, Ohio and entered into political life. He held several terms in Congress and also was Governor of the State of Ohio from 1891 until early in 1896.
He took office in 1897 with his chosen running mate, Vice President Garret A. Hobart. Vice President Hobart died from heart failure in 1899 before his term was complete. The office of the Vice President remained vacant until McKinley ran for reelection and chose his new running mate Theodore Roosevelt.
He initiated the Spanish American War which was later called the 100 day war. As a result of this war the United States gained control of Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico and for a time Cuba. He was also responsible for annexing the then Republic of Hawaii in 1897. He ran again for reelection in 1901 and was elected for a second term.
The gold standard was adopted for the United States in 1900 when President McKinley signed the Gold Standard Act. This made gold the only standard by which paper money could be redeemed. Previous to this silver could also be used to redeem paper currency.
September 6, 1901 a fanatic by the name of Leon Czolgosz shot President McKinley in Buffalo, New York at the Pan-American Exposition. He shot the President twice. Unfortunately, President McKinley did not die right away. He died of blood poisoning on September 14th. Theodore Roosevelt was sworn into office on September 14, 1901. Leon Czolgosz was executed after a jury found him guilty and sentenced him to be electrocuted on October 29, 1901.
Just a short little history lesson for those who want to know.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McKinley
http://www.history.com/presidents/mckinley/timeline
Published by Pat Bartels
Previously employed in the Human Resources field, Pat enjoys traveling and tweaking computers when she is not writing articles for Associated Content and Factoidz. She is fascinated with personal finance, th... View profile
- The Presidents: William McKinleyA look at the President that George W. Bush most closely resembles.
- Election of 1900: McKinley Versus Bryan and the Issue of American EmpireAn overview of the 1900 presidential election, in which Republican William McKinley defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan.
- Marine Band and the Presidents, Part 5: McKinley to Coolidge (Ragtime in the White...During the years 1897 to 1929, covering the presidencies of William McKinley to Calvin Coolidge, the role of Marine Band music in the White House continued to evolve, including the addition of a new kind of youthful p...
Presidents of Progression, LeadershipThis article delves into the lives of Teddy Roosevelt, JFK, Clinton, FDR, Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Obama, McKinley, Wilson, Taft, and Grover Cleveland.- The Wasteland of the Great United States of AmericaA creative piece supporting the separation of Florida from the United States. It may provide a laugh, or even possibly provoke some thought! Take from it what you want.
- William McKinley - His Life and Ironic Fate
- The Assassination of William McKinley
- The Assassination of U.S. President McKinley
- The Assassination of President William McKinley
- Theodore Roosevelt: America's President
- American Presidents Who Ran the Country without a Vice President
- Leon Czogolsz, the Anarchist Who Killed William McKinley
7 Comments
Post a CommentI have another thing to add. My daughter was born on this date in 1973 during a major ice storm. Luckily, they had put me in the hospital a couple of days earlier because of toxemia so we were safe but my husband didn't get there in time.
Enjoyed this. Thank you!
Thanks for this history lesson, I came to look at your work after being pointed this way by Abby Greenhill.
I knew McKinley was shot but not that he annexed Hawaii, one of my favorite places!
Refreshing the old memory from school days is great! :)
Good short history lesson. Thanks.
Good for you, Pat, too many fail to look back and then we wonder how we got to where we are! Cheers.